Newberry nets BFL win on Sam Rayburn

Updated 3:23 pm, Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Boater Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, grabbed the tournament title during the Feb. 8 Walmart BFL Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir using a total catch of 19 pounds, 4 ounces. Newberry walked away with over $7,600 in winnings thanks to his first-place finish as well as Ranger Cup and Mercury bonuses.
Photo courtesy FLWOutdoors.com

Boater Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, grabbed the tournament...

Co-angler Jerry Strother of Glenmora, La., finished in first place at the Feb. 8 Walmart BFL Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with a total catch of 21 pounds, 13 ounces. Strother took home more than $2,300 in winnings.
Photo courtesy FLWOutdoors.com

Newberry notched his ninth BFL win on a stingy Sam Rayburn by relying on a grind-it-out mentality and judiciously applied local knowledge.

"The fishing was really tough on Rayburn," said Newberry. "It's been really cold and the water temperature was down to 45 degrees, and that's colder than it's been in years.

"I caught the first four on the edge of the grass on a Rat-L-Trap. Once I caught the first one I stuck with it in the same area. Later on, I backed off and threw a ¼-ounce Santone jig into grass, and apparently the fish had gotten tired of seeing that same Rat-L-Trap come past, because one hit it first cast and it was my big fish.

"I was throwing to about a 50-foot circle between two stumps. I only caught five fish all day. I went to a few other areas but never got a bite. Being persistent and staying with it was key," finished Newberry. "I just made the same cast over and over again, and most people don't do that."

Co-angler Jerry Strother of Glenmora, La., finished in first place at the Feb. 8 Walmart BFL Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with a total catch of 21 pounds, 13 ounces. Strother took home more than $2,300 in winnings.Jerry Strother of Glenmora, La., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 13 ounces to win $2,326 in the Co-angler Division.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.